The apparatus of this invention lies in the field of chutes for loading or unloading cattle or other animals on and off railroad cars, trucks, and the like, and is directed to such chutes which are portable for use in various locations. It is more particularly directed to such chutes which involve a minimum of parts and equipment, are readily adjustable for use with platforms of different heights, and which can be loaded on a truck with minimum manpower and no extraneous equipment.
Many types of loading chutes have been constructed and used over the years and have had various desirable and undesirable features. Conventionally a framework or base is provided and an elongate ramp is pivotally connected at its aft end to the lower rear portion of the framework so that its forward end can be raised to some desired elevation. In some cases the forward end is raised by direct manpower and is then supported by chocks or fixed length jack stands. To reduce the effort, one or more extensible jacks may be connected to the forward end to raise it to the desired height. They may be used for continuing support or replaced by jack stands. The ramp may also be elevated by connecting a cable to a forward portion and a winch to a rear part of the fixed framework, and winding the cable on the winch.
Chutes of these types are basically not portable. It is true that they may be moved short distances for positioning, etc., by simply dragging them along the ground but the range is obviously very limited. To actually move them to a new location it is necessary to use a hoisting vehicle to load them onto a flat bed truck and take the vehicle to the new location or provide a similar vehicle at that location to place the chute back on the ground. This is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive.
There are portable chutes presently in use which are simply provided with a cross axle and wheels so that they are basically trailers. However the flexibility of the tires, and springs if used, makes the chute unstable during loading and unloading. This is overcome by removing the wheels for use and replacing them for transport. Since this takes time and effort, and the equipment adds greatly to the total cost, this is not a satisfactory solution.